It has been almost six years since Houston drug cops fatally shot Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas during a botched raid at their home. Last week, Gerald Goines, the former narcotics officer responsible for obtaining the faulty search warrant that led to their deaths, was convicted of felony murder.
While this outcome is rare, the deceit that led to Goines’ prosecution is unfortunately quite common. When your job involves fabricating crimes by orchestrating illegal drug transactions, it’s not a huge leap to fabricate crimes entirely, especially if you are convinced of the individual’s guilt.
Goines targeted Tuttle and Nicholas based on false information from a neighbor, Patricia Garcia, who falsely claimed they were armed drug dealers. Garcia later admitted to making up the story and pleaded guilty to federal charges related to her false reports.
In the search warrant affidavit, Goines falsely claimed a confidential informant had purchased heroin from the couple’s residence. He later confessed to fabricating the transaction, although he asserted he had personally bought heroin there the day before the raid.
Prosecutors presented evidence proving Goines was not at the house during the alleged drug purchase. This revelation was part of a pattern of dishonesty that jurors learned about during Goines’ trial.
Goines had a history of framing suspects, including Otis Mallet, who served time in prison before being declared innocent years later. Following the Harding Street raid, over 1,400 cases involving Goines were re-examined, resulting in the overturning of more than 30 convictions.
It was revealed that Goines had worked with the informant for over two decades, manipulating her to sign forms documenting fictional drug purchases. The Harding Street raid, which led to an exchange of gunfire and injuries to officers, exposed Goines’ corrupt practices.
Instances of police misconduct like this are not isolated to Houston, with similar scandals occurring in cities like Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. The problem of “testilying” is widespread in the criminal justice system.
Peter Keane, a law professor, highlighted the prevalence of police perjury in court cases involving illegal drug searches. This unethical behavior undermines the rule of law and is disturbingly common in courtrooms across America.
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